Mandrel for can shaping machines



Oct. 31, 1933. c. HANSEN MANDREL FOR CAN SHAPING MACHINES Filed Jan. 19,1935 ATTORN EY Patented @ctp3l 1933 UNITED STATES 1,932,584 I MANDRELFOR CAN SHAPING. MACHINES.

Chris Hansen, Seattle, Wash, assignor to Continental Can Company, Inc.,New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 19, 1933.serial No. 652,542

4'Claims. (Cl. 15332) This invention relates to can body expanding meansand it has reference more particularly to improvements in can bodyexpanding mandrels as used in machines of that character illustrated anddescribed in the application of M. M. Sedwick, filed January 12, 1931,under Serial No. 508,347.

In order to facilitate the shipping, or storage of can bodies, it isdesirable to initially form them in a flattened form permitting them tobe packed together in a relatively small space. The machine of theSedwick application, above men-- tioned, is designed for expanding andshaping these flattened can bodies into their final cylindrical form andit includes a plurality of shaping mandrels, each comprising a pair ofcomplemental, half-round sections pivotally mounted and adapted to beclosed together in such manner as to provide a sort of wedge onto whicha flattened can body may be loaded, and then to be opened apart toexpand and cylindrically shape the body.

Explanatory to the present invention, it will be stated here thatthe twopivoted sections of the bocly-shaping mandrel, as used in the Sedwickmachine, have their ends so-tapered that when they are'closed togetherin wedge form they engage each otherin a joint at the receiving .end ofthe mandrel and delays and difficulty is some-- times experienced byreason of one or both walls of a flattened can body enteringthe jointbetween the sections instead of the'body passing about these sections. 5

In view ofthe above it has been the principal object of this inventionto so improve the construction of the can body expanding mandrel as toeliminate the possibility of the flattened cans entering between thesections of the mandrel when they are loaded thereonto.

More specifically stated, the objects of the present invention reside inthe provision of a mandrel of the above character comprising a pair ofcomplemental, pivotally mounted jaws adapted to be closed together togive the mandrel a wedge like form onto which a can body may be loadedand which may then be spread apart to expand the flattened body tocylindrical form; one of the jaws of the mandrel being provided with awedge like end portion adapted to easily enter the can between the sidewalls thereof; this wedge like portion being cut away at one side, at adistance form of mandrel back from the point, to provide a shoulder backof which the end of-the other jaw may be closed to receive the canbodies thereover after they have been opened by the wedge like endportion of the other jaw.

Other objects of the invention reside in the various details ofconstruction and in the combination of parts, as Will hereinafter bedescribed. 7

In accomplishing these objects of the invention, I have provided theimproved details of construction, the preferred forms of which areillustrated in the accompanying drawing wherem- Fig. 1 is a fragmentalView, partly in section,

illustrating certain parts of a can body expanding machine that isequipped with an improved embodying the present invention. v V

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, side view of the mandrel with the jaws thereofclosed together forthe loading of a flattened can body thereonto.

, Fig. 3 is a similar view, showing the jaws opened apart for expandingthe can body.

Fig. 4 is a cross section on the line 4-4 in Fi 2.

Fig. 5 is a cross section taken on line 5-5 in Fig. 3.

Referring more in detail to the drawing One form of machine with whichthe present invention is applicable is that disclosed in the previouslymentioned applioationoi M. M. Sedwick, wherein there is disclosed arotating turret mounting a plurality of expandable mandrels which,incident to rotation of the turret, are successively brought intoalinement with a loading means whereby flattened can bodies are loadedthereon. During the rotary action of the turret, certain mechanismscause the mandrels to be expanded, thereby to expand the can bodieswhich have been loaded thereon, tocylindrical form. Subsequently, themandrels are collapsed and the expanded bodies are removed therefrom,leaving each mandrel in readiness for the loading of another bodythereon when it reaches the loading station. 1

In Fig. 1 I'have illustrated only those parts of the Sedwick machinethought necessary for an explanation of'the present invention. In thisview, 1 designates an intermittently rotating turret and 2 areciprocating feed slide, whereby the flattened can bodies, designatedat 3, may be delivered, one at a time, from a storage hopper l onto themandrels mounted by the turret; it being understood that the rotativemovement of the turret is accurately timed with the action of the feedslide and this may be accomplished by mechanism as illustrated inSedwicks application, or by other suitable means.

Each of the can bodies 3, when delivered from the hopper, has aflattened cross sectional form as disclosed. in Fig. 4, with oppositeside walls substantially fiat and parallel and joined by rather sharplyrounded edges as at 3a.

Each of the body expanding mandrels of the machine, comprises a pair ofcomplemental, jaw like sections 5 and 6, arranged in co-extensiverelation and alined with the direction of advancement of the can bodiesthereto. The ends of the two sections farthest from the hopper arespaced apart and are pivotaly mounted in the turret on parallel pivotpins ,7 and 8, respectively, and they are joined forwardly of the pivotsby coiled springs 9 connected at their opposite ends with the outer endsof attaching pins 10 and 11 extended through the jaws. These springs areunder tension and yieldingly retain the swinging ends of the jawsections closed together in wedge like relation for reception of theflattened bodies thereon.

Mounted on the pins 10 and 11 are rollers 14 and 15 which projectslightly beyond the inner faces of their respective mounting sections.Contained between the two pivoted sections of themandrel there is areciprocally movable central section 18 having a tapered forward end180. adapted, by a forward adjustment of the part, to enter between therollers thereby to .swing the sections apart and effect the expanding ofa can body that has been loaded thereon. The means for reciprocallyactuating the slide 18 may be of any suitable construction and wherebythe action of this part 18 is properly timed with the action of theturret and loading mechanism. As illustrated in Fig. 1 there is a shaft19 mounted to rotate with rotary action of the turret, and this mounts acrank arm 20 connected by a link 21 with the slide 18 so that incidentto rotation of shaft 19, the slide will be reciprocally actuated.

At its forward end the mandrel section 5 is provided with asymmetrically tapered wedge like point 5aforming a sharpened edge 20adapted to enter between the opposite side walls of a can body when thebody is advanced thereagainst by the feed slide. At one side and spacedsomewhat within the edge portion 20, the pointed end portion is cut awayto provide a shoulder 22 that faces away from the point. The forward endportion of the jaw section 6 terminates short of the end of section 5and closes against the latter back of this shoulder and it has aninclined outer surface 6a that will come flush with,or fall slightlybelow the continuing surface of the point 541.

With the device so constructed, its operation is as follows:

In accordance with the intended operation of the machine, the turret 1rotates intermittent- 1y to successively bring the mandrels into alinement with the feed slide. During periods of rest of the turret,'the feedslide operates to advance 1 the lowermost can from the hopper onto themandrel alined therewith. To receive the cans, the two sections of themandrel are closed together, as shown in Fig. Zand the can body isloaded thereon by passing first over the pointed end of the lower jawsection 5, then onto the'two jaws. As

the can body advances, the opposite side walls pass about the jaws 5 and6' and the final disposition of the can is that indicated by dottedlines at in Fig. 2. Following the loading of the can body onto themandrel, the central portion 18 of the mandrel is advanced fromretracted position as shown in Fig. 2 to the position of Fig. 3 andincident to this advancement, it enters between the rollers 1 and 15 andthus causes the jaws 5 and 6 to be opened apart to expand the can bodyto the cylindrical form as illustrated in Fig. 5.

It will be mentioned here that after the body has thus been expanded itis desirable that a bumping mechanism be actuated against opposite sideedges of the can to remove the creases; such a mechanism is fullydescribed'in the Sedwick application, but not herein illustrated. Afterthe can has thus been expanded, and bumped, the central section 18 isretracted and the springs 9 draw the jaws together thus releasing themfrom the can body and it is extracted from the mandrel before themandrel again reaches the loading station.

It is apparent that by providing one of the mandrel sections with thepoint and then forming it at a distance spaced from the point with therearwardly facing shoulder backof which the end of the oomplementalsection may rest, the difficulty experienced in the construction of theSedwlck machine is overcome since it is then impossible for the canbodies, as fed to the man drel, to enter betweenthejaws. I

l-lavingthus described my invention, what I claim as new therein anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is-- l. Ina can bodyexpandingmechanism, an expandable mandrel comprising two complemental sectionsadapted to be closed together for the loading of a can body thereon-to,one of said sections having a wedge shaped end' adapted to enter the endof a can body between. the side walls thereof, and the other sectionhaving itsreceiving terminating short of the first section andcountersunk therein with its outer surface continuing flush with thesurface at that side of the wedge shaped end.

2. In a can .body expanding mechanism, anexpanda'ble mandrel comprisingtwo complemental sections adapted to be closed together for the loadingof a can body thereont one'of said sections having a wedge shaped endportion for entering the end of a can bodybetweenthe side walls, andhaving a countersink'spaced from. the end at one side; the other sectionterminating short of the-first section and" adapted to rest against thefirst section within said countersink with its outer surface. continuingflushwith the surface at that side of the wedge shaped end.

i 3. Ina can body expanding mechanism, an expandable mandrel comprisingtwo complemental sections with ends pivotally mounted and with theiropposite ends adapted to be closed together sections having a wedgeshaped end portion adapted to enter the end of a can body between theside walls thereof and having a countersink at one side spaced from theend and forming a shoulder facing away from the end; the other sectionhaving a truncated end terminating short of the pointed end of thecomplemental section and adapted to be disposed back of said shoulder,to cause its outer surface to come flush with the surface at that sideof the wedge shaped end.

i. In a can body expanding mechanism, the combination with can body feedmechanism and in a converging relation, 'one" of said 7 ing acountersink at one side spaced from the a mandrel support, of a bodyexpanding mandrel comprising two complemental opposite side sectionswith ends spaced apart and pivotally mounted in said support and theiropposite ends adapted to be closed together in alinement with the bodyfeed mechanism for the loading of can bodies thereonto; one of saidsections having a wedge shaped end portion adapted to enter the end of acan body between the side walls thereof and havend and forming ashoulder facing away from the

